On the Trail:
Heat 2/3 cup water to boiling. Stir in the mix of dry ingredients and cook
for 2 minutes. Cover and remove from heat. Allow to stand until the liquid is
absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 5 minutes.
Makes 1 serving
460 calories
24% calories from fat
11 g fiber

Toast almonds in a skillet or oven -- keep careful watch to avoid burning.
Toast sesame seeds the same way.
Mix the cabbage, scallions, almonds and sesame seeds together in a large bowl.
Mix the dressing ingredients together.
Bash the uncooked ramen noodles into small pieces.
Five minutes before serving, add the ramen noodles and dressing to the cabbage mixture.

Chocolate Raspberry Delight

At home:
Each item can be carried separately or the pudding and the milk can be
combined in a quart-sized freezer bag, with the raspberries carried
separately.

On the trail:
Stir dry milk and pudding mix into two cups water in a pot. Heat until
the mixture comes to a full boil, stirring CONSTANTLY. It is helpful to
have a heat disperser to minimize scorching.
Divide the raspberries between zipper-lock bags or other serving containers. Pour the cooked pudding over the raspberries.
Serve warm or cold. If not eaten immediately, cover to prevent a crust from forming.

Boil instant rice with an equal volume of water for 1 minute then allow to stand.
Meanwhile, slice the carrot thinly. Cover with water and boil 6 minutes.
Then add the pineapple, and drain off most of the water. Add remaining
ingredients and heat to boiling with stirring. Serve over rice.

Boil instant rice with an equal volume of water for 1 minute then allow to stand.
Meanwhile, slice the carrot thinly. Add dried vegetables and the liquids
specified on the sauce packet. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 6
minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except noodles. Heat to boiling
with stirring and simmer until thickened (about 1 minute). Serve over
rice, and top with noodles, if desired.

Note: If the sauce mix calls for vinegar, one may substitute water plus 1/4 tsp citric acid

Measure 13 oz of cold water into a Nalgene bottle. Add dry milk and
shake. Add the pudding mix and shake vigorously for two minutes.
Pour individual servings into zipper-lock sandwich bags or other
containers. Allow to stand 5 to 30 minutes in as cool a location as
practical. Wash the bottle promptly.
To serve, break cookies into quarters and place on or in the pudding. Top with the liqueur.

To dry spaghetti sauce in an oven: Place food wrap
on a 11" x 17" cookie sheet or equivalent. Spread the sauce uniformly,
not over 1/4" thick, and place in a 140° F oven. When the top is dry,
place fresh wrap over the top, invert, discard the first wrap, then
continue heating until uniformly dry. If using a dehydrator instead,
protect fruit-leather trays with food wrap; do not block the ventilation
holes.
Cut the dried sauce into small pieces with kitchen shears.

On the Trail: Put the dried sauce in 18-20 oz of
water; add any optional dried ingredients with an equivalent volume of
water. Heat to boiling with stirring. Keep warm for 10-15 minutes,
stirring regularly. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the spaghetti
until done (6-8 min. for thin spaghetti). Drain and serve with sauce;
top with cheese.

Preparation: Heat liquids,
condiments, and sugar just to boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Shred the vegetables and cover with the syrup. Refrigerate at least 8
hours, stirring at least once. Drain and load into a dehydrator (use a
drip tray). Dry at 130 degrees, breaking up any lumps. Package 1/3 cup
(compacted) per serving in zipper-seal bags. Store refrigerated.

On the trail: Add an equal volume of cold water to
each bag. Add 1/2 tsp. vinegar per serving (e.g. fast food packet) if
desired. Allow to rehydrate for at least 30 minutes.

Combine first four ingredients in a plastic bag or pot. Stir in boiling water and insulate.
Cut or mince beef and soak in excess hot water for 15 seconds, then
drain well to remove salt. Add vegetables, spices, gravy mix, and water.
Heat to boiling with stirring, then simmer 1-3 minutes until the gravy
thickens. Fluff the potatoes and place on the filling. Top with cheese.

Soak TVP, vegetables, gravy mix, and spices in 1½ cup water, as directed for the TVP.
Meanwhile, combine garlic, potatoes, milk, and oil in a plastic bag or pot. Stir in boiling water and insulate.
When the TVP is swollen, heat to boiling with stirring. Simmer 1-3 minutes until the gravy thickens.
Fluff the potatoes and place on the filling. Top with cheese if desired.

SEX IN A BOWL
(AKA Better Than Sex)

Make brownies according to package directions and cool completely.
Mix pudding with pint of whipping cream and 2 cups of milk. Beat until
thick. Crush or pound SKOR candy bars.

Bottom layer:
In a large bowl (straight sides) place cubed brownies on the bottom.
Spread top of brownies with 1/2 of pudding. Sprinkle with 1/2 of candy
and spread 1/2 of Cool Whip over top.

Top Layer:
Repeat layer, only place the remainder of Cool Whip over the pudding and
sprinkle the remainder of crushed candy bars over the Cool Whip. Chill
for an hour or overnight (if you can wait)!
This dessert is quick, easy, and...need I say more? Glad it was enjoyed by all at the potluck.

Apple Bourbon Cake

Submitted by Margaret Reeks

This cakes always gets rave reviews! The rich flavor of bourbon
blends beautifully with apples, walnuts and spices. This cake freezes
well so you can make several when your favorite apples are in season.

Put apples in a large bowl and pour bourbon over the apples. Cover
tightly and periodically tip upside down to mix the apples and bourbon.
(If preparing apples in a food processor, quarter, core and peel apples,
cut each quarter in half and add to processor bowl fitted with the
steel blade. Do 2 or 3 apples at a time, cover and chop with short
on-off pulses. (Do not over-process or the apples will shred and give
off too much juice.)

Beat the sugar, oil and eggs together with a wire whisk or rotary egg
beater. Sift together the flour, soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and
cloves. Stir into the egg mixture. Add nuts and the apples with bourbon.
Stir until well mixed. Turn batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking
pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes to one hour, or until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold with
bourbon-flavored whipped cream or cream cheese, if desired. Makes one
sheet cake.Originally created by Joyce Rosencrans in 1982 for The Cincinnati Post

These are good for lunch, snacks or dessert. They survive pack
compression reasonably well, keep at least a week in the backcountry,
stay soft in cold weather and are low in fat (unless you make
substitutions).

Beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar and Butter Buds in a large
bowl until well blended. Then beat in the apple juice, vanilla and Egg
Beaters. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and cinnamon
separately and add to the other blended ingredients. Mix until well
blended and then stir in the oats, apples, walnuts and raisins. Lightly
grease a 15 x 11 x 1 inch pan and spread in the batter. Cook at 350
degrees for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes
out clean. Allow to cool and then cut into approximately 3 x 4 inch
bars. Wrap bars individually in plastic food wrap and store in the
fridge or freezer until boonie time.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. This is now the basis for a
back country dinner entree. Use about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of mix plus the
peas or chicken for two people depending on appetites etc.

Yield: 5 1/2 cups mix

Store unused portions in ziplocs or an air tight container.

At your campsite:

Add three to four cups of water depending on additional dried
ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender.
Cooking time is mainly dependent on type of rice used and the lentils.
If using lentils, cooking time can be reduced if they are placed in a
kettle with water when you first stop to set up camp. This hydration
should reduce cooking time.

Boil 2 c. water in pot. Dump box ingredients into boiling water. (It
is helpful to open the spice packet beforehand and discard the
packaging.) Turn down heat to simmer. After 10 minutes, add carrots and
currants to pot if you haven't eaten them by now. Simmer for 5 minutes
stirring occasionally. Add almonds to pot and stir (if they're not
eaten). The pilaf may be done by now or may require a few more minutes
cooking time.

Prepare vegetables as indicated and place into individual plastic
bags. Place bags into a single larger bag and refrigerate. Drain tuna
and clams/shrimp and pack into individual bags with olive oil. Freeze.
Keep on ice until you reach the trailhead. When ready to leave, double
bag and wrap into an insulating material (e.g. camp towel or sweater).

At camp:

Add two tbs. of olive oil to your skillet. Add chopped onions, garlic
and jalapenos. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until onions
are fully cooked and soft. Add two cups of water and rice-and-seasoning
mixture. Cover and cook over low heat for approximately ten minutes. Add
the peas, peppers, sausage rounds and clams or shrimp. Cook five
minutes longer, covered. Top with tuna, add the last tbs. of olive oil
and season to taste.

Comments:

The rice is rich in carbohydrates to keep you going during your hike
out the following morning. The deliciously spicy vegetables and meats
taste every bit as good as they look. Be prepared to share!

Place all ingredients except cheese and pine nuts in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the basil mixture into a bowl and stir in the cheese.

Toast the pine nuts in a fry pan until golden brown. Stir often and watch carefully as they will burn easily.

NOTE: Pesto may be kept refrigerated in a tightly covered jar for
several months. It can also be frozen, but then it is best to stir in
the cheese upon defrosting. Individual servings may be easily frozen by
pouring mixture into ice cube trays and freezing. Defrost tray slightly
to remove each pesto cube.

I vary and sometimes do not add the chocolate, depending on mood and how healthy I feel I need to be.

Best-Tasting Gorp

Submitted by Larry Reister

Equal parts of:

Raisins
Peanuts ( and maybe a few walnuts )
M&Ms
Peanut butter chips

This is NOT a gorp for a hot summer day, as the peanut butter chips
tend to melt easily in a warm pack. Another problem I have with this
gorp is that there is a tendency for me to start eating it before I need
to. It keeps calling me from inside my pack.

Melt chips in the top of a double boiler or microwave. Add honey.
Pour over rest of dried ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour
(spoon) mixture into greased pans and cool. Cut or break into 2 oz.
chunks.

Wrap tightly in sealed plastic bags. Store in refrigerator or for longer periods in freezer.

Nothing can compare to the aroma of food cooking in a camp dutch oven
at the end of the day. What is a "camp dutch oven"? It is a cast iron
pot with three legs and a recessed flat top. The legs allow for air flow
underneath as the coals cook. You can cook anything in a dutch oven
that you can bake or cook on a stove at home.

Start with a properly seasoned oven. To season a new oven, first wash
it thoroughly with hot soap and water. This is the LAST time you will
ever use soap on it again. Dry it and rub it with Crisco all around the
inside and underneath the lid. Now put it in a preheated 375 oven face
down. The lid, of course, is separated from the oven while the seasoning
process occurs. After one hour, turn off the oven but allow the dutch
oven to stay there till it is cool enough to handle.

Store it with the lid lifted - for air circulation - with a thin coat of oil on the inside and underneath the lid.

To clean a dutch oven, wipe with a paper towel and use a tuffy pad
with hot water, NOT soap. Before each use, rub with a thin coat of oil.

If you try any of my recipes and say, "But this is not as good as
Sherry's", there is a reason! The more a well-cared-for dutch oven is
used, the more it absorbs flavors, so that an older dutch oven that has
been used many times really will produce more flavorful food.

NEVER place a dutch oven face down over a fire to clean it as I once
saw a "not too bright" scoutmaster do. This destroys the flavoring
qualities that you gain from a well-used, well-cared-for oven.

A 10" pot will probably feed 3 or 4 hungry campers. Place about 6 or 7
hot coals underneath and cover the lid with hot coals. Most foods
cook/bake in an hour, although some recipes may vary. Don't "peek" until
at least an hour. Of course, if you use a larger oven, you need to
increase the number of hot coals underneath and on top.

I use briquettes (as opposed to lump charcoal) for the hot coals
because, well, I have always used them! And yes, I do carry the charcoal
briquettes in with me. I put them in a plastic trash bag with a twist
tie. I also carry an almost empty container of charcoal lighter fluid
(not a full one for weight considerations) Always carry about half as
much more charcoal than you think you need. You can use hot coals from a
campfire but, of course, charcoal is easier and more dependable.

Here are some of my favorite recipes. Many of you who have been on canoe trips with me will remember these.

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

It is hard to imagine something this simple can be so delicious.

For trips to the Adirondacks, I start with a well-frozen roast,
wrapped in foil, then in newspaper. By the end of the day when I have
paddled to my campsite, the meat is still cold enough to be safe, but
thawed enough to cook. It's okay if it is still somewhat frozen when you
are ready to cook. First, light the coals and while they are getting
ready, place the roast in the dutch oven, along with cut-up carrots,
onions, potatoes and a little salt and pepper. That's it! Don't add
water, it cooks in its own juices. In less than an hour, you will begin
to smell the wonderful aroma. In about an hour, you're ready to eat!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Line oven with foil. Melt butter in foil. Sprinkle brown sugar over
butter. Place pineapple slices over butter and sugar. Prepare a cake mix
according to package directions. Pour over pineapple. Bake until cake
turns brown, about 30 minutes. You should have about 6 or 7 hot coals
underneath the oven and the top of oven covered with hot coals.

Ham and Sweet Potatoes

¼ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
4 slices ham
4 sliced sweet potatoes

Combine butter and brown sugar in hot oven till well mixed. Place
thick ham slices in the mixture. Place peeled, sliced sweet potatoes -
about ½" thick - over ham. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes till potatoes
are soft.

Combine the ingredients through the water. Cover, bring to a boil and
cook for 1 minute. If using dried fruit or fresh vegetables, cook for 5
minutes more. Add instant rice, return to a boil, and cook covered for 1
minute. Blend in the cashew nuts and optional ingredients. Turn off the
heat and allow to stand covered for 4 minutes.

When using canned food, replace part of the water with can liquids.
Combine the ingredients through the water. Cover, bring to a boil and
cook for 1 minute. If using dried fruit or fresh vegetables, cook for 5
minutes more. Add rice and yogurt, return to a boil, and cook covered
for 1 minute. Blend in the cashew nuts and optional ingredients. Turn
off the heat and allow to stand covered for 4 minutes.

Here is a nutritious and flavorful recipe from dry ingredients that can be used as a vegetarian main dish or as a side dish.

Normally beans require 25-60 minutes of cooking, which is impractical
for trail meals. However, Fantastic Foods has instant Black Beans that
require only 5 minutes to prepare. They are widely available; see www.fantasticfoods.com for local sources.

Justvegetables is a mixture of dried carrots, corn, peas, peppers, and tomatoes. For local sources, see www.justtomatoes.com.

If practical, presoak the vegetables. Combine the vegetables,
seasonings, and water, bring to a boil, and cook covered for 3 minutes.
Add instant rice and beans, cover, and return to a boil. Top with cheese
if desired. Turn off the heat and allow to stand covered for 5 min.

If using instant brown rice, add rice with the vegetables and cook for a total of 10 minutes.

A Better Oatmeal

by Ken Harbison

Are you tired of the same old instant oatmeal for breakfast on the
trail? Oatmeal makes a great hot breakfast, but one eventually tires of
the same few flavors. Perk it up with added ingredients and have a
delicious, nutritious, and different breakfast every morning.

The commercial packets are convenient, but you can prepare better on
your own, and inexpensively, from instant oats and your own choice of
additional fruits, nuts, and other ingredients. Note: some of the
commercial so-called fruit oatmeals actually contain dyed apple chunks
with artificial flavorings.

The key ingredient is instant or quick oatmeal, which is available in
boxes or in bulk. If you prefer oatmeal 'gluey' like from the packets,
put up to one-third of the oatmeal through a blender or coffee mill.

Justfruit Munchies is a flavorful mixture of seven dried fruits,
which are also available. See www.justtomatoes.com for information and
sources. Many are available locally at Lori's Natural Foods and Tops
Friendly Markets.

Grains: Granola or Muesli is a good topping for oatmeal. Some
other choices are wheat germ, wheat bran, or sesame seeds. Also,
breakfast bars may be broken up to provide both grains and fruit.

Dairy: Dry milk is often added at 1/3 of the amount of oatmeal
to provide additional protein and calcium. Less conveniently, dry milk
may be reconstituted and poured over the top. Non-dairy creamer is a
possibility for those who cannot tolerate milk, or who want a creamier
flavor. Dry soy milk is also an option.

Sweeteners: Light brown sugar is often used in oatmeal mixes.
Honey provides a nice alternative. Honey contains only 20% water, so it
is not necessary to use dehydrated honey; it can be carried separately
in a screw-cap tube. Shaved maple sugar gives a different flavor. Jams
can also be used.

GORP: Steal some of the fruits and nuts from your trail mix and have them with your oatmeal.

Preparation hint: If you prepare the oatmeal in a 1-qt
zippered bag, just invert the zipper and use it as a bowl. When you've
finished eating, restore the zipper and close. There's no messy pan, no
dish to clean up, and now you have a garbage bag

Add 1 cup of boiling water to a bag of the oatmeal mixture, stir,
and seal. Allow to stand 5 minutes, preferably in a pan of hot water.

Open the bag, stir in or top with the remaining ingredients.

Invert the zipper of the bag and use as a bowl.

Comments

The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is dedicated to the protection and responsible
recreational use of the New York State Forest Preserve, and other parks, wild
lands, and waters vital to our members and chapters. The Club, founded in 1922,
is a member-directed organization committed to public service and stewardship.
ADK employs a balanced approach to outdoor recreation, advocacy, environmental
education, and natural resource conservation.